Racine police confirmed to WISN 12 News that Chiapete was arrested Friday night, accused of driving while intoxicated and fleeing the scene of a crash.

Police said he hit a traffic signal and tree near his Racine home and left his car there.

"Somebody in my position, not only should I know better, but I should be held to a higher standard than everybody else. There is absolutely no excuse for what happened on Friday night," Chiapete said.

Chiapete wouldn't talk about where he was before the crash, but said Monday he will not resign.

"I'm here for the long haul, and I plan on turning this into something that, I don't want to step down. I want to make people understand that I made a mistake, a horrible mistake, a horrible series of mistakes," Chiapete said.

"A very unfortunate situation, and I know people will see it for what it is, and he made a mistake," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said Chiapete has lived in his neighborhood for a while and is a good family man.

In a email Saturday morning to the Racine Journal Times, Chiapete told the paper, "I am ashamed and embarrassed. I apologize to my family, to the law enforcement community and to all of the citizens in our community. This should not have happened, and I plan to work hard to restore your faith in me."

A first-time OWI citation carries an $800 fine. The hit-and-run is also a municipal ticket, with a fine of $170.

RACINE COUNTY'S DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS PLEADING FOR FORGIVENESS TONIGHT AFTER BEING TICKETED FOR DRIVING DRUNK. ALTHOUGH HIS JOB IS TO PROSECUTE DRUNK DRIVERS...HE EXPLAINS TO WISN 12 NEWS MIKE ANDERSON WHY HE THINKS HE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE. 1:12 :17 1:02 RICH CHIAPETE, RACINE CO. DA:"I HAVE NO EXCUSES FOR WHAT HAPPENED." RACINE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY RICH CHIAPETE IS APOLOGIZING MONDAY AFTER HE WAS CITED FOR DRUNKEN DRIVING AND LEAVING THE SCENE OF AS ACCIDENT FRIDAY NIGHT, AT THE INTERSECTION OF MELVIN AVENUE AND NORTH MAIN STREET IN RACINE. RICH CHIAPETE:"SOMEBODY IN MY POSITION, AH NOT ONLY SHOULD I KNOW BETTER BUT I SHOULD BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN EVERYBODY ELSE, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE FOR WHAT HAPPENED ON FRIDAY NIGHT." CHIAPETE WOULDN'T TALK ABOUT WHERE HE WAS BEFORE THE CRASH. A NEIGHBOR TOOK THIS PICTURE OF THE LIGHT POLE DOWN AND A TREE SNAPPED OFF. ANOTHER NEIGHBOR WHO WOULDN'T APPEAR ON CAMERA, TELLS US SHE HEARD A THUMP LATE FRIDAY NIGHT, SHE SAW CHIAPETE WALKING AROUND THE SCENE, THEN WALK AWAY. POLICE TRACED THE LICENSE PLATE TO HIS NEARBY HOME. CHIAPETE SAYS HE WILL NOT RESIGN. RICH CHIAPETE:"I'M HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL, AND I PLAN ON TURNING THIS INTO SOMETHING THAT, I DON'T WANT TO STEP DOWN I WANT TO MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT I MADE A MISTAKE,A HORRIBLE MISTAKE, A HORRIBLE SERIES OF MISTAKES." MIKE ANDERSON, REPORTING:"RACINE POLICE SAY THE CASE IS STILL UNDER REVIEW BUT IT IS A FIRST OFFENSE FOR THE DA AND HE IS SUBJECT ONLY TO TWO CITATIONS, ONE FOR OWI AND ONE FOR LEAVING THE SCENE, IN RACINE, MIKE ANDERSON, MIKE ANDERSON, WISN 12 NEWS." A FIRST TIME O-W-I CITATION CARRIES AN 8-HUNDRED DOLLAR FINE. THE HIT AND RUN IS ALSO A MUNICIPAL TICKET, WITH A FINE OF ONE-HUNDRED